Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

I just need a few replies.

I want the darkest Creed scent. I've only smelled 3 of their scents so far (Royal Water, Silver MW, and, just today, GIT). SMW & GIT are both amazing. GIT a lot more so (it smells more... one-of-a-kind-ish than SMW does in my opinion). I just smelled Royal Water last week and that was amazing as well... very exotic smelling. It just SMELLED expensive.

But I'm really looking for a Creed scent that is classy but dark. I'm a metal-head, damnit. A metal-head with a hindu background, so I tend to gravitate toward musky herbals/florals more than I do the "fresh" or "sweet" or "citrus" style scents. I love spicy smells, but 99% of the ones I've been introduced to smell like your average tube of oil sold at Indian market stores. For example, Frederic Malle's Noire Epices smells like a cheap bottle on essential oil from your local Indian food market or whatever. Maybe it's exotic to some people, but not to me. (Actually, I read Vilbert's review of it and what he described sounded damn close to what I was looking for)

I do want to smell my age (32) and I don't want to smell like a clean-cut, suit-wearing, success story. I want to smell exotic and sophisticated at the same time (if that's possible).

Anyway... I'm almost sure I'm going to go for a Creed scent, but I just smelled Terre d'Hermes and I must say, that stuff is vicious! If I do decide to go with Creed, I'm really close to going with Bois du Portugal based on what fellow basenoters are saying, but is there an obvious one I'm missing based on what I've explained?

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

Oh, and I forgot to mention... GIT did have a dark edge to it, actually. Despite being fresh, it wasn't that "out of the shower" fresh that I'm not crazy about... it was a very exotic fresh that was borderline dark. I don't know... I just got a sample and I've only worn a little bit once today. I do remember Royal Water being exotic, for sure, but not quite dark. SMW wasn't dark at all.

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

Bois du Portugal is really a wonderful stuff, but I think it's too square for you. No offense intended, just good will. You might really dig it as a contrast to the metal-head dynamic, but only as a contrast.

Royal English Leather is closer to the dark hound of what's available from that maker.

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

Originally Posted by DustB

Bois du Portugal is really a wonderful stuff, but I think it's too square for you. No offense intended, just good will.

No offense taken! You're exactly right... I am not square at all and I don't want to smell like I just played a round of golf with King Whoever or like a "suit" either. Anything "preppy" or "player-esque" is definitely not my taste. Whatever it is, it's got to be exotic. I carry scents really well, so I'm pretty sure I can find what I'm looking for.

Maybe a more aggressive Bulgari pour Homme Soir with a bad attitude. I don't want a trail of people vomiting behind me or anything, but it's gotta have the exotic edge (which usually comes with a higher price tag).

I keep sniffing the Terre d'Hermes on my arm while I'm writing this and it is for sure in the round-about category of what I'm looking for.

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

I agree with DustB about Royal English Lather but I also find Himalaya a bit closer to the dark side even tho others say its clean and fresh but for me its almost like Dzing! but I'm not sure about that it could just be the fact that I keep those 2 samples together ... ... also I think you should try Bulgari - Black, Divine - L'homme sage or L'etre aime, Serge Lutnes - MKK which I think are also dark.

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

Originally Posted by DustB

Bois du Portugal is really a wonderful stuff, but I think it's too square for you. No offense intended, just good will. You might really dig it as a contrast to the metal-head dynamic, but only as a contrast.

Royal English Leather is closer to the dark hound of what's available from that maker.

Royal English Leather was my thought too. It's a mature scent, but then too it's got some odd notes, (perhaps from ambergris?), that make it pretty distinctive and unique. Goes nicely with my Royal Underground leather.

Tabarome Millesime also a thought. Ginger/Tobacco.

BdP is very nice, but it is one of the ultimate "guys in suits in a boardroom" scents. Think Gordon Gekko in WALL STREET.

Creed doesn't much strike me as a "metal head" kind of scent house. I like a lot of Creeds, but don't get stuck on them. They are indeed probably the most recognized name in niche perfume. They make good stuff. But there are probably some better niche offerings that will fit your needs. Keep surfing around in here.

Terre D'Hermes is a great scent, but be aware it's very, very popular and is really pretty mainstream for what you seem to be looking for. Same with GIT. I think you want something more unique to you.

Noir Epices is nice but not that exotic to me. It wears on me like fresh, spicy soap.

You're in the right place to look. You might also go to Luckyscent.com and look at their masculines. They have flowery writeups that give some idea of the attitude of a frag. If you see something that intrigues you, you can purchase small sample and/or come back in here and hit us up for input or check the directory.

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

I've had the privelege of trying a good many Creed frags. My take on what you're looking for is that Acier Aluminium would be most appropriate. It's got a dark edge to it. Very unique and fitting, IMO, of a goth.

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

Originally Posted by alex_d

I agree with DustB about Royal English Lather but I also find Himalaya a bit closer to the dark side even tho others say its clean and fresh but for me its almost like Dzing! but I'm not sure about that it could just be the fact that I keep those 2 samples together ... ... also I think you should try Bulgari - Black, Divine - L'homme sage or L'etre aime, Serge Lutnes - MKK which I think are also dark.

I've had Dzing! suggested to me before. I'm glad you wrote this, because it tells me it's an avenue I want to pursue. I own Bulgari Black, and while it is exotic for sure, it's too sweet for my tastes. I'll look into the Divine scents too. You're also the 3rd or 4th person to suggest Serge Lutens as a house in general, so again, good input.

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

Originally Posted by StylinLA

Tabarome Millesime also a thought. Ginger/Tobacco.

I local guy who sells this told me it's not a good one compared to the others he had. He offered to open one of the Creed bottles out of the 4 he had, so he let me try Royal Water. He also had Himalaya, Tabarome, and another one I'm forgetting.

Originally Posted by StylinLA

Terre D'Hermes is a great scent, but be aware it's very, very popular and is really pretty mainstream for what you seem to be looking for. Same with GIT. I think you want something more unique to you.

Thank you! This is important to know. I'm certainly not into trends... never have been, never will be. I started wearing Monarchy shirts before they got big, and stopped as soon as my friends started stealing mine and buying their own. hehe.

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

Okay, so thanks to DustB, alex_d, Craig, sirsmellzalot, & cutypi = I will be ordering samples of Acer Alluminum & Royal English Leather as well as thoroughly exploring the Serge Lutens house. I'm also adding C&S No. 88 and Avignon to the sample order. Based on other people's input, I can't wait for Antaeus!

Thanks for the input everybody. As usual, you guys rock. I really appreciate it.

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

I don't think you'll enjoy Bois du Portugal, honestly it smells of the breath of an old man in a jar with some sandalwood and leather. C&S 88 is a good choice for you, perhaps Le Labo Rose 31 or Ungaro III (not Creeds, I know, but you might find them interesting).

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

How about Cartier's Essence de Declaration? Has a 'dirty' citrus top but is a bit smokey aswell. A darker TdH if you like. As far as Creed goes, BdP is spicy but wouldn't say it's dirty (I have a bottle, amazing stuff). Tabarome has a dirty note to me but also has a sweetness never too far away.

Another option might be Encre Noir, totaly different to others above, Vetiver, very earthy yet fresh. Could be considered dirty(ish)??

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

Originally Posted by PaladinX

removed

There's no such thing as a mind inducing chemical. Last time I checked you are born with a mind & there is no chemical to induce it. If you don't have one, you're out of luck. I'd be worrying about that more than women. No offense.

Oh, and I would spend $140 any day to feel good about myself without breaking the law.

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

Originally Posted by DustB

Bois du Portugal is really a wonderful stuff, but I think it's too square for you. No offense intended, just good will. You might really dig it as a contrast to the metal-head dynamic, but only as a contrast.

Royal English Leather is closer to the dark hound of what's available from that maker.

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

Creed's Royal Delight strikes me as a dark scent. It has prominent notes of jasmine and leather and is very different from other Creed scents. You might want to give it a try as well.

Heerst: Oh wow... I'm really glad you posted this! I went and read the reviews for this, and found that some of the reviewers I respect the most here (foetidus, SirSlarty, JaimeB, Kaern) said things that all spoke to me in a very agreeable way. In regards to what I've asked for in this thread, this seems to be Creed's take on what I'm looking for. Throughout the reviews, everyone seems to agree about Royal Delight's superb sillage, projection and longevity. Some of the terms used are "quality", "unique", "exquisite", "mature", "strange and beautiful", "opulent", "masterpiece", "complexity", "mysterious seriousness", "exotic", "rapturous", "rich", "thick", "heady", "intoxicating", etc etc etc. I don't think I've seen more than a few fragrances on this site with so many praises on one page. I'm also taking note that all of the negative reviews for this one have only 2 or 3 lines/sentences of information and the reviewers themselves are people I generally disagree with anyway.

These particular comments caught my attention:L'aventurier: "Thinking of all the 200 fragrances I've tried so far, I can't really think of anything else in particular that smells like this".
foetidus: "Itís rich and naughty and even a bit arrogant."iMaverick: "As with many leather-chypres, it has a dirty animalic impression, but this composition keeps it noticeable but reserved. The dirtiness soon segues into the oriental base quite similar to Himalaya, but Himalaya is more a modern, meditative, altitudinous scent, while Royal Delight is sophisticated and more dark and sensual."

What I'm getting a sense of in regards to this particular fragrance is basically a dirty, leathery, but classy floriental that is smooth, deep, powerful, and dark and is a good balance of all of its notes & characteristics. I also really love animalic scents (from what I've smelled so far)... musks, civets, indoles, etc... I have yet to smell a fragrance that uses these ingredients irresponsibly, and I don't think I want to, but from what I know about Creed's fragrance line in addition to the fact that Royal Delight was one of the last niche scents Creed made (1993) using all natural ingredients, I seriously doubt these elements will offend me.

Here's my only real concern (aside from the price!): A few people have commented about this fragrance being "sweet". Now, whenever people mention that word in a review, I tend to be immediately on guard about the fragrance. In general, I do not like fragrances that have an edible/sweet scent. I really do not like scents that make you want to eat or drink something... that is a little silly to me. I recently purchased L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme, and I came REALLY close to returning/exchanging it because of this. Luckily, I put a real effort into being patient with its dry down and I began to notice a very classy, warm, & comforting accord toward the end of its heart and throughout its base, which made me want to keep it.

I'm going to dig through some older forum posts and see what I can find out about this, but I'm going to address this particular fragrance in another post since it's more of a narrow topic and I still want to get input about other possibilities. Thank you very much, Heerst!

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

To be honest, until I begin to be able to identify notes and learn the proper terminology for expressing myself in this context, I don't think I have a clue what I'm looking for. Hah! You may be right, though. I do get the impression that Creed's line of fragrances all sort of lean toward the clean or fresh side. The thing is, I'm asking for a scent with a lot of different characteristics, and my emphatic demand for a fragrance to be dark could be swayed by scents that have a non-predominantly dark element.

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

Originally Posted by Virabhadra

I local guy who sells this told me it's not a good one compared to the others he had. He offered to open one of the Creed bottles out of the 4 he had, so he let me try Royal Water. He also had Himalaya, Tabarome, and another one I'm forgetting.

Well, one of the points of being in here is putting the power in your hands and not "the local guy" who sells this. Don't take my word for it either per se, but you're now educating yourself how to look for a scent.

One of my favorite scents is now Vintage Tabarome. I didn't buy it when it was easy to get because "the local guy" really talked it down.

Re: Question about the Creed line (need suggestions)

I don't want to take this thread on a tangent, and AA is a fine scent I like owning, but for me the only metal thing about it is the name.

Royal Delight mentioned above is also a good suggestion.

Wow. I couldn't disagree more. I think Royal Delight is a very light and feminine spring scent. Pretty much the opposite of what he is looking for.

Re: Acier Aluminium... it is strange, but when I smell it, I definitely get "interlocking chain mail". There is a gritty, metallic note there that is undeniable. On the other hand, some think it's too powdery.

All I'm saying is that I still don't think Creed is what he needs if he wants "dark" and "metal". But if he does, it's AA. It's the Creed equivalent of this: